Hyderabad: Two MMA athletes from Hyderabad who became India’s first and only national Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) champions will now be participating in IMMAF (International Mixed Martial Arts Federation) World Championships, in Serbia.
Mahboob Khan from Hyderabad and Khushboo from UP have levelled up after winning the ‘Bronze’ medal in Asian Mix Martial Championship, which was held in Tajikistan, Dushanbe from October 27 to 30.
These champions who aim high for the country, are determined to win the world championship that will be held in Serbia from February 12 to February 20, 2023.
While Mahboob was a bodybuilder who worked at a clothing shop and later as a taxi driver, Khushboo fought society’s odds and emerged as the first woman to have won the sport at the continental level.
The rise of MMA in Hyderabad
Coach Sheik Khalid said that Hyderabad is leading the way in MMA for the whole country as TAMMA (Telangana Association of Mix Martial Arts) organizes four to five national and state-level events per year.
Popularising a bloodsport in which combatants literally knock each other’s teeth out, with blood also often ‘decorating’ the floor, does not sound like an easy task.
And the challenge in India to draw more youth into the game is manifold, especially given that it is a country where cricket is almost like a religion for many.
However, nothing could deter Hyderabad’s Sheikh Khalid from making the city a centre of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).
From 2013 till 2021, after his club took off, Shaik Khalid created about 50 national-level medalists and five international-level medalists, including his prodigy Mohammed Mahboob Khan.
The full-contact combat sport, which involves striking and grappling, has managed to become the fastest-growing and continues to evolve even today.
The most popular platforms for MMA are UFC and One Championship. MMA took off in India when the ‘Super Fight League’ was launched in 2012 by Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt and businessman Raj Kundra.
The Super Fight League of 2013 was a turning point for MMA in Hyderabad.
Appeal for support
The total cost of participation including registration, travel, visa and stay according to the letter of selection would cost around two lakh rupees which the IMMAF is not covering.
Coach Sheikh Khalid has appealed to MMA supporters and martial enthusiasts to come forward to support Mahboob who would inspire many with their hard work and determination.
Here are the details
Name : Mohd Mahboob Khan
Address: 17 -2-579/106 Madnapat Saidabad, Hyderabad Telangana,500059
Bank Account: 052110100188420 (Union Bank of India)
IFSC code : UBINO805211
Gpay : 7995395626
Phone pay: 7995395626
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